The Twelve Days of ACW Christmas - by Liz Carter
After a couple of months of posts about very technical things relating to fonts, files and other complicated stuff to do with self-publishing, I felt it was high time for a lighthearted post reflecting on the wonder of ACW and the wonder of Christmas all at the same time.
So take a deep breath, put on your best singing voice, and join me in full voice for...
The Twelve Days of ACW Christmas!
On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me....
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| A nice set of stationer-eeee. |
A nice set of stationer-eeee.
Because we writers cannot do without our stationery, can we? In fact, some of us cannot walk past a stationery shop without going in and buying that gorgeous new notebook, even though we have several hundred of the things at home. And we love to get stationery gifts.On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me...
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| Two books I love... |
Two books I love...
and a nice set of stationer-eee.
Because we all love to read, and we especially love to read one another's work, with so many talented ACW authors. It's been such a joy to me to discover some wonderful books by you guys over the past few years. Thank you.
On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me...
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| Three French pens |
Two books I love...
and a nice set of stationer-eee.
Because pens are pens, whether French or not, and I'm sure French pens are more stylish than English ones, right? Seriously, though, you can never have enough pens around the place.
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...
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| Four calling words |
Four calling words
Three French pens
5(0) golden years...
Two books I love...
and a nice set of stationer-eee.
Because we are called by God to write. What are your calling words? What has God called you to write? Sometimes I like to ask God for a word for the year and it helps me frame things in a new way and envision my writing in a different way. God calls us with his words of power every day, wherever we are, and we only have to respond...
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...
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| 5(0) golden years... |
Four calling words
Three French pens
Two books I love...
and a nice set of stationer-eee.
Because ACW turned 50 this year, and how glorious is that?
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me...
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| Six buyers paying |
Six buyers paying
5(0) golden years...
Four calling words
Three French pens
Two books I love...
and a nice set of stationer-eee.
All of us authors love to see people buying our books. There's something magical about those moments, isn't there? All those words we've lovingly crafted, all those hours we've stared at that screen...and someone wants to buy our book. It never gets old.
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me...
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| Seven files a syncing |
Seven files a syncing
Six buyers paying
5(0) golden years...
Four calling words
Three French pens
Two books I love...
and a nice set of stationer-eee.
Because technology can be both wonderful and painful, and we've all had that time when we lost a file we're absolutely certain we uploaded to the cloud. When tech does its thing, we are happy and we bless our computers with love, and when it doesn't, we like to throw our laptops across the room.
On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me...
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| Eight tweeters tweeting |
Eight tweeters tweeting
Seven files a syncing
Six buyers paying
5(0) golden years...
Four calling words
Three French pens
Two books I love...
and a nice set of stationer-eee.
Because social media is that thing all of us authors have to get our heads around, and it's so lovely when people share our posts. But it's even lovelier when we connect with others, when we share their stuff, when we find places to be honest about our struggles and places to spark ideas off one another. Social media has revolutionised writing, and, while it can be at times a bitter pill, it can also be a grand adventure. Substitute this line for '8 instagrammers instagramming' or '8 tiktokers tiktoking' or whatever you like if you have departed Twitter's shores lately (or never joined in the first place). It's a funny old place these days. What's your favourite social media? Which one do you find best works for your book sharing?
On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me...
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| Nine reviewers reviewing |
Nine reviewers reviewing
Eight tweeters tweeting
Seven files a syncing
Six buyers paying
5(0) golden years...
Four calling words
Three French pens
Two books I love...
and a nice set of stationer-eee.
Because reviews matter, and reviewing one another's work matters. Even the one-star reviews matter, because it means someone has read and engaged with our book - maybe it didn't do it for them, and that's okay. That whole coping with lower reviews thing is a whole other blog post...in the meantime, keep reviewing!
On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me...
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| Ten (thousand) words a leaping |
Nine reviewers reviewing
Eight tweeters tweeting
Seven files a syncing
Six buyers paying
5(0) golden years...
Four calling words
Three French pens
Two books I love...
and a nice set of stationer-eee.
We love it when words leap from our minds onto the page. Sometimes writing is like a river bursting its banks, with all those pent up words flowing out of us in a great tidal rush, and it's like surfing the waves of sheer joy. On those days, being a writer seems like the best thing in the world. 10,000 words a day? It's possible...but however many we get down, they are still our words, still our creativity flowing, still us living out those words of calling. Keep those words a leaping in 2023, dear ACW friends!
On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me...
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| Eleven bloggers blogging |
Eleven bloggers blogging
Ten (thousand) words a leaping
Nine reviewers reviewing
Eight tweeters tweeting
Seven files a syncing
Six buyers paying
5(0) golden years...
Four calling words
Three French pens
Two books I love...
and a nice set of stationer-eee.
Because blogging can be a place where we both practise and express our writing, and they are also where we help one another to launch our books on blog tours. Many of us started our writing journeys by writing blogs and tentatively sharing those first posts on Facebook, biting our nails at the thought of people actually reading our words. And then of course there's this very blog, More Than Writers, with 30 or more bloggers blogging every month. How wonderful is that?
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me...
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| Twelve writers hugging |
Altogether now:
Twelve writers hugging
Eleven bloggers blogging
Ten (thousand) words a leaping
Nine reviewers reviewing
Eight tweeters tweeting
Seven files a syncing
Six buyers paying
5(0) golden years...
Four calling words
Three French pens
Two books I love...
and a nice set of stationer-eee.
Because this is the heart of ACW: the community. The understanding. The sharing. The accountability. The love. The encouragement. The giving. The constructive criticism. The creativity we share with one another. The meet ups, online and in person. The hugs. These are all reasons I love being part of this group - what about you? Do share in the comments.
So there it is, then, the Twelve Days of ACW Christmas. I do hope you enjoyed this daft little interlude, and that you are humming it all day. Do add your own ideas for the song in the comments!
Merry and blessed Christmas, everyone, and may you know the peace of God surrounding and upholding you this season.
Liz Carter is an author, poet and editor from Shropshire. She loves to write about the difficult and painful times in life, and how we can find gold in the mess. Her books Catching Contentment and Treasure in Dark Places are available in online bookstores. Her new non-fiction book with The Good Book Company, Valuable, is coming in June 2023. She is poet-in-residence of her local town and works freelance to proofread, format and design books.
You can find her at www.greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk
Oh Liz, this is wonderful!! You're so clever. I agree with every single one of them. Well done and may it be so for you this Christmas 😍
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Deborah! And for you too. x
DeleteI love this so much! 3 French Pens had me laughing! I think I will have to look for some now, as im sure they are very classy! And I'll always want to substitute pens for hens whenever I hear that song from now on. Thanks for the work you put in to write this. Have a hug!
ReplyDeleteHaha yes I think I will be substituting that too from now on! And hugs back atcha :)
Delete'Seven files a syncing.' LOL! Very clever, Liz, thank you. xx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Philippa! It was fun to write :)
DeleteVery clever and fun to sing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Veronica!
DeleteThis is not only clever but also beautiful, encouraging and true. And many of them are relational. You could have had 'eight publishers publishing' or 'ten agents representing' or 'six PR people promoting' or 'nine editors accepting' etc etc (not that they scan of course). Sheila Robinson (aka SC Skillman)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Sheila, I like those too!
DeleteThis is awesome. I love it. Its my new song for the season.
ReplyDeleteAw thanks, Steve!
DeleteBrilliant! Thanks Liz. xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThis was so much fun to read - I was actually singing along out loud! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joanne!
DeleteA terrific post, Liz. It was the 'four calling words' that particularly did it for me, something in my case to ponder prayerfully and discern; but I love the whole clever concept. You make me wonder what those four words would be (a bit like wondering whether the 'what3words' for a favourite place will actually represent it in some tangible way, perhaps, but perhaps I digress ...). Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Caroline - I pray you find those calling words this coming year :)
DeleteApologies for the double 'perhaps' ...
ReplyDeleteLovely post Liz! How imaginative and creative you are!! Enjoyed the song. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sophia!
DeleteSo good! I love stationer-eee! Great post, Liz.
ReplyDeleteAh thanks, Fran! It was fun to write.
DeleteLove love love this!!! Instagram is my favourite platform. 8 'grammers gramming - not sure if that's scanning, tra la la laaaaaaaaaaaa
ReplyDelete